Who Is Drinking the World’s Coffee Now and Why It Matters for Green Coffee

Coffee demand is no longer growing evenly across the globe, and that shift is reshaping green coffee trade flows. According to the International Coffee Organization, Asia Pacific accounted for more than 30 percent of global coffee consumption growth over the past decade, with countries like China, South Korea, and Indonesia driving much of the increase. While traditional markets in Europe and North America remain large and stable, newer consuming countries are expanding faster and showing different buying patterns. For green coffee traders, this means demand is coming from more places and with more varied preferences.

These emerging markets are influencing what types of coffee are in demand. Industry data shows that consumers in developing coffee markets often enter through instant and ready to drink products before moving toward roasted and specialty formats. The ICO reports that industrial coffee use now represents nearly half of global consumption, reflecting the continued importance of soluble and blended products in fast growing regions. This trend supports steady demand for scalable volumes, while still creating room for higher-quality offerings as consumer education grows.

For buyers and sellers of green coffee, understanding where groth is happening is becoming just as important as how much coffee is being produced. Exporters are increasingly aligning shipments and blends to meet the needs of Asian and Middle Eastern markets, while traders adjust origin strategies to balance quality, price, and consistency. World Coffee Research notes that long-term demand growth will depend on both productivity and market access in these regions. As global consumption patterns continue to evolve, the future of green coffee will be shaped as much by new drinkers as by traditional ones.